Locomotive



nanas im. 1, 193e UNITED STATES- .PATENT OFFICE LoooMo'rTvE ApplicationFebruary 1l, 1933,I Serial No. 656,304 In Germany February 27, 1932 2Claims.

This invention relates to locomotives and more particularly to enginepowered locomotives in which the transmission of power to the axles iscected through electrical apparatus.

5 One object of the invention is the provision of an engine poweredlocomotive embodying an internal combustion driving engine, anelectrical generator operated thereby, and a plurality of electricmotors energized by the generator and connected to the axles, thearrangement of the driving apparatus being such as to satisfy unusuallylarge power requirements inthe limitations of overall height and length.A

Another object of the invention is the provision 5 of an engine poweredlocomotive in which the internal combustion engine is provided withinthe confines of the main engine frame, and vertical electric motorsenergized by an engine c driven generator are arranged laterally outsideof go the confines of the engine frame in driving relation to the axles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, the appended claims and the accompanying g5drawing, in which- Fig. l is a side elevational view of an enginepowered locomotive embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the locomotive; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the locomotive.

Referring more particularly to the drawing by reference letters, themain locomotive frame a, as herein shown. comprises two laterally spacedlongitudinally extending frame members between which is arranged theinternal combustion engine b, which may be of the diesel or otherpreferred type. The engine affords the power drive for an electricalgenerator c, the driving connection being made through the transmissione. 'I'he generator c is arranged longitudinally with regard to theengine b, and in locomotives of very large power the generator is ofsuch size that it is preferably arranged above the engine frame so 4sthat its armature shaft is considerably higher than the axis of thecrank shaft of the engine as shown in Fig. l. I'he transmission e whichplaces the engine shaft in driving connection with the amature shaftpreferably comprises a plurality of cranks arranged on an extension ofthe engine shaft and on the extension :i of the generator shaft, theseveral cranks of both extensions being interconnected by tie means suchas the connecting rods indicated by the letter i.

The locomotive is provided with a plurality of (Cl. 10S-35) driven axlesm, four in number in the construction shown. These axles are arrangedrelatively close together, each axle being driven by means of twoelectric motors d which are located laterally or outside of the framemembers a. These driving motors are of the vertical type, each beingarranged above the end of a driven axle so that the space within theconfines of the frame members is left entirely free for the disposal ofthe combustion engine b. lo

The electric motors d are' preferably supported by means of platforms fwhich extend longitudinally along opposite sides of the frame, outwardlyof the frame members a. Preferably a bevel gear drive including beveldrive vpinion .n on the l motor and bevel gear o on the end of `theaxle, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided between each motor and a drivenaxle. In order to provide for the proper attendance of the combustionengine in an expedient manner, a platform or walk q n is provided alongopposite sides of the locomotive, the platform being preferably arrangedsomewhat below the upper ends of the motors d. The motor housings extendthrough the plat form for some little distance, but the attendant s canreadily step `over the projecting portions.

The larrangement of the various power and driving elements of thelocomotive. as above described, is particularly advantageous in locomo.-tives o f very high power. It has been the pracn tice in the past tolocate electrical driving motors, operating the axles, within thelocomotive frame between the axle locations. In high poweredlocomotives, however, such -motors would be sd large as to cause anunusually large distance be- 35 tween axles, or between successivewheels, and this would place a definite Vlimitation on the amount oftrack curvature that could be negotiated satisfactorily. When thesuccessive wheels are spaced far apart a track curvature of small radiusis impossible.

With applicants arrangement of driving motors provided abovel the axlesand on the outer sides of the frame of the locomotive. these motors canbe made very large, as there is no material limi- 5 tation to the motorlengths. The distance botween successive axles need be limited thereforeonly by the wheel diameters. The arrangement of the driving motors onthe outside of the frame leaves the entire space within the connues of othe frame available for the internal combustion engine.

In the prior practice of arranging the driving electric motors betweenthe axles and within the frame confines, there was a deilnite limitationon the sise oi.' the driving engine. The engine power could be increasedby increasing the number of cylinders but this would increase the lengthof the engine, and the elect of each cylinder could be increased byincreasing the engine strokeor by using a double acting cylinder. but ineither case the engine height wouldv have to be increased and there is adefinite limitation to which this could be extended, since there is adefinite limi- `tation tothe total locomotive height. Increasing' thelength of the engine would necessitate an increase in the length of thelocomotive but that,- however, is limited -by the requirement of curverunning ability. An increasev of the engine height, with the enginelocated above the motors the frame connues is available to it. Theincrease of engine power is also accomplished without increasing thetotal length of the locomotive; so

that track curvature of comparatively small ra dius can besatisfactorily negotiated. The Aextremely high power generated in suchan engine can be eiiectively transmitted to the driving axles by highpowered motors arranged in the manner .described without requiring theaxles to be far apart. It isl therefore apparent that the arrangement of.the parts as herein set forth' permits the total power of thelocomotive to be increased to a value far greater than the possibleobtainable value of the prior arrangements, although within thelimitations oi overall locomotive height `and length.

. While the form. of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferredembodiment oi ,the invention, it is to be understood that thefi'nventionis not limited to this precise form of apparatus. and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope oi.' the inventionwhich is denejd in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: g L'An engine powered locomotive comprising apair ofspaced longitudinal side frame members, a plurality of driven axlessupporting said frame members, each of said axles having a pair ofdriving wheels, an internal combustion engine 10 mounted on said framemembers and positioned longitudinally therebetween and having its lowerportion extending down between the frame members and between the upperportions of the driving wheels. said engine extending across said 15said motora-'said generator being mounted on Y saidmemberslongitudinallyof the engine,

2. An engine powered locomotive having an engine, generator and motorsaccommodated in a compaizatively.small space and comprising a 25 pair ofspaced longitudinal side frame members, `a plurality ot driven axlessupporting'said members and each having a pair of driving wheels, thedriving wheels on a side of the locomotive being closely spaced apart,an internal combustion 30 engine positioned longitudinally between saidframe members directly above and extending across a plurality ofk saiddriven axles and having its lower portion extending down between theframe members and between the upper portions of the 3 5 driving wheels,a pair o! vertical electric motors for each Vdriven axle provided abovethe ends of the axles at opposite sides oi the locomotive, and anelectric generator driven bysaid engine for A energizing said motors,said generators being il() mounted on said -members longitudinally ofthe engine and having its shaft vertically spaced above the engine shaftand in driving connection therewith. v, f v

GUBTAV PIEIBTICK. l5

